GUEST COLUMN:
Hamish Watkins
Co-founder
PIKKLE
When we launched PIKKLE just over two years ago, the goal was simple: to make events catering more exciting, more local, and more human.
My co-founder Louis Phillips and I had been talking for a while about how good the food scene is in Cardiff and how many amazing small food businesses never got the opportunity to be part of larger corporate events or celebrations. So we set out to change that.
We saw a chance to sit in the middle. To connect event organisers with the incredible independent food talent on their doorstep. And to bring a bit more personality – and a lot more flavour – to corporate catering, weddings, and private events. We wanted to rebel against the boring buffet and prove that catering could be creative, local, and memorable, without losing any of the professionalism or polish that clients expect.
That’s how our idea of unconventional catering was born.
It started with us knocking on doors, speaking to local businesses, and offering something different. A menu that collaborates with the best local food talent, showcasing their fresh new flavours and sharing their brand stories, all delivered with our vibrant energy and passion for customer service. Since then, we've delivered events for everyone from start-ups to household names like Monzo and PwC. And it’s grown steadily from there. Every event we’ve done has been another opportunity to show what unconventional catering looks like – and how good it can be. That food at events should be knockout. Steal the spotlight and be a talking point.
Towards the end of last year, we opened Little PIKKLE, our café in Capitol Tower in central Cardiff. It’s become a place where people can get a taste of what we do – literally. We use the same network of local suppliers and chefs with artisan pastries and speciality coffee, and the café has been a brilliant base for building community. It’s where we catch up with clients, meet new people, and stay rooted in the values we started with.
The next big step for us is a new partnership that we’re really proud of. We’ve become the official events caterer for Pieminister. That means we’ll be delivering their weddings, parties and corporate events across the UK – from Cardiff to Bristol, Exeter to London. It’s our first formal partnership with a household name brand, and one that feels like a natural fit. Pieminister are a B Corp, and like us, they started out doing festivals and markets in Bristol, where they still call him. They still hold those roots close, and that shared ethos was really important to us.
The partnership has already brought in more than 30 weddings, alongside the corporate events that we know so well. It also gives us a way to scale without losing the heart of what makes us different. We’re still bringing our own network of traders – dessert chefs, canapé specialists, pastry makers – into the fold. The events are still run in our style. But now we’ve got more reach, and the chance to support more independent businesses along the way.
As part of that growth, we’ve taken on a new unit on Penarth Road in Cardiff as a base for our operations. There are now four of us on the team, and we’ve started laying the groundwork to build a similar network in Bristol. The idea is to create a localised model in each city – connecting traders and chefs with events in their own area, all managed and delivered by our PIKKLE team. A community-led approach, but with national ambition.
One of the most exciting things about the Pieminister contract is that it’s opened up new locations for us. We’ve already delivered events in London and Exeter, and there’s a packed summer schedule ahead. These events are being labelled “Pieminister Powered by PIKKLE” – and that’s exactly what they are. Our team, our approach, our style, their iconic product.
Our journey so far has been fast-paced and rewarding. From our first event on 1st March 2023 to now, we’ve learned a lot, grown quickly, and stuck to the principles we set out with: showcase local talent, support independent food businesses, and never settle for a beige buffet. That’s what we think catering should be – and it’s what we’re proud to deliver.
